IS THE LORD AMONG US OR NOT?

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

"The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. So they quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water to drink." Moses replied, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the LORD to the test?" But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?" Then Moses cried out to the Lord, "What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me." The Lord answered Moses, "Walk on ahead of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink." So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, "Is the Lord among us or not?" Exodus 17:1-7

As we start Chapter 17, we see a common theme rise up again: the Israelite people aren’t happy about their circumstances and they are openly complaining. This time, the problem is water again. You’ll recall the first time that they came upon water but it was too bitter for them. So the Lord gave Moses a piece of wood that sweetened the water once it was placed in it. This time, there is no pool of water around…and no magic piece of wood. But the complaints of the people were all the same. No matter how many miracles they had witnessed up to this point…the aforementioned wood, the quail, and the manna…the people refused to just trust that God would take care of them. After all, hadn’t He done so every step of the way after they departed Egypt. Yet, the people of Israel wondered, ""Is the Lord among us or not?" We sense Moses’ frustration in the scripture as he says, "What am I to do with these people?" This caused me to wonder if God didn’t feel the same way about the people of Israel…and possibly the way that He feels about us today as well.

For we too so often fail to show our faith and trust in a God who loves us, protects us, guides us, and provides for our needs in accordance with His will. He promised He would never leave us nor forsake us.. He promised He would never give us a burden we couldn’t bear. He reveals to us miraculous works each and every day. If you don’t believe that, think about how many babies are born daily. Each is a miraculous work of creation…God’s awesome way of replenishing His population. That baby started as a single cell and emerged as a living, breathing child of the Most High God! There isn’t anything more amazing than that to me and God truly does show us that He is indeed present and very active in the lives of His people.

Question: Do you believe and trust that the Lord will hear your prayers and provide for you in accordance with His will for your life? Do you recognize the miracles He performs each and every day? Or do you complain persistently about anything and everything? Do you think and act as if God has somehow abandoned you…leaving you lonely and wondering, ""Is the Lord among us or not?"

Well, the good news is the Lord is among us and always has been. He performs works of wonder all around us. We need to just open our eyes, ears and hearts to realize and recognize Him at work. Whether He needs to make water flow from a rock or a child flow from the waters of a mother’s womb, either way, He is present…He is actively working in our lives and the lives of others…and He is among us, right where He has always been. Thanks be to God for that.

In Christ,

Mark

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